理 (lǐ) is a Chinese character meaning “reason”. It is written from 王 (king) and 里 (inside; li (unit of distance)), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “reason; principle”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
王 + 里
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验（王4画 + 里7画 = 11画）
Memory aid
A piece of jade (王, the jade side) with the lines inside (里) it: follow the grain and you find the pattern — the reason things are the way they are.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 理由lǐ yóureason; grounds; justification理 = lǐ
- 哲理zhé lǐphilosophical insight; philosophy of life理 = lǐ
- 伦理lún lǐethics; moral principles理 = lǐ
- 理发lǐ fàto get a haircut理 = lǐ
Go deeper
All readings
reason; principle
reason; logic; principle; texture, grain; to manage; to put in order; to pay attention to
道理、事物的规律；物质的纹路；也指管理、整理，或理睬。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 理由lǐ yóureason; grounds; justification理 = lǐ
- 哲理zhé lǐphilosophical insight; philosophy of life理 = lǐ
- 伦理lún lǐethics; moral principles理 = lǐ
- 理发lǐ fàto get a haircut理 = lǐ
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 理 mean?
理 (lǐ) means reason; logic; principle; texture, grain; to manage; to put in order; to pay attention to.
How do you pronounce 理?
It is pronounced lǐ.
What parts is 理 made of?
王 (king) and 里 (inside; li (unit of distance)), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验（王4画 + 里7画 = 11画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 理 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 理?
玉. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 理?
Common ones are 理由 and 哲理. The reading of 理 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.